


Smosh One-Shot Cliches

by Readtome



Category: Smosh
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-06
Updated: 2019-09-24
Packaged: 2020-08-10 10:48:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20134219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Readtome/pseuds/Readtome
Summary: We all know the bad romance cliches. I thought it would be fun to lean into them instead of avoid them. One-shots with our Smosh babies of some of my favorites.





	1. It was a dark and stormy night

**Author's Note:**

> So I haven't written in YEARS. LITERAL YEARS! I wanted something simple to start up again so why not go with those cheesiest of cheesy moments that everyone cringes at when they hear them? I thought: Why not set my expectations super low on my first time back into writing? I guess I'm just hoping to make someone smile at something short and sweet like these moments did for me. 
> 
> Also, these will all be with different people. I tagged the ones that are in this story and the ones that will probably be part of the next few, too but I might add more as I go along. 
> 
> First one posted and I have a few other cliche moments already lined up but if you're reading this are there any that are favorites of yours? Something you want to see written as a short little one-shot?

“Coffee or tea?” You ask as you lean around the doorframe between your kitchen and living room as you make eye contact with Damien sitting on the sofa giving your cat what seems to be the best scratches he’s received in years.

“Tea. Don’t need the caffeine for a scary movie. That sounds like a nightmare!” He laughed.

You nodded and ducked back into the kitchen to make him a cup of tea while you had a cup of coffee brewing for yourself.

It’s a stormy and chilly October night and you were getting ready for a scary movie marathon with the only person you knew who could put up with scary movies. In fact, scary movies were what got you talking in the first place.

_You happened to work in the office next door to Smosh and had befriended Courtney during your lunch breaks. Or, to be more exact, she befriended you before you even knew what happened._

_A few weeks later you were on your lunch break and she was tugging you by the arm into their office to show you something on her computer._

_“Can you believe they made me go to that?” She pointed at the screen with an indignant wide-eyed look._

_You lean over her shoulder and squint at the screen, seeing raw footage of what seemed to be Courtney and a small group of people in a theme park at night. Courtney leaned over and clicked the play button. It was a short, looped clip of a horror movie villain sneaking up behind her and sticking his face right next to hers as she slowly turned towards him, thinking it was one of her friends only to be met with a masked man and screaming in his face._

_Once it had played twice through, Courtney hit the pause button and turned back to look at you. You tried, and failed, to hold back a smile._

_“No. Not you, too. I thought you would be on my side! That was so not funny!”_

_“Look, I’m sorry. That was probably really scary. I’m sorry you had to go through that. But it looks kind of fun, too.” You said with a small shrug still unable to wipe the smile from your face._

_“See? Told you it wasn’t that bad!” A blond man plopped down into the desk chair in front of Courtney with a big grin as he took a sip of his drink._

_“Shayne, you were just as scared as I was! They just didn’t catch you on camera screaming like a little bitch, which you definitely did.” Courtney shot back at the man as she slapped his shoulder with the back of her hand in frustration._

_You chuckled at your friend and her co-worker as they glared at each other._

_“Really? You two are still arguing over this?” Another man joined the conversation from behind you, causing you to turn to see who the voice was coming from._

_“Oh, you can just shut up Mr. I’m-so-brave-I-hid-behind-the-camera-man. You weren’t any better.” Courtney retorted causing the blond to nod along with her. The man just laughed and nodded._

_“I know I screamed like a little bitch. I’m apparently the only one in the office who can actually admit it!”_

_You were surprised by his self-deprecation and laughed out loud. When you looked at you, you quickly tried to hide your smile, embarrassed that you laughed at him._

_Instead of glaring at you or wondering what a stranger was even doing in their office he offered you a small smile and seemed surprised and pleased that he made you laugh._

_“Oh, guys, this is my friend from next door. We do lunch.” She gestured to you as she gave your name, emphasizing ‘do lunch’ with a snobbish voice and turning her nose up._

_“This idiot is Shayne and that’s Damien. Which you now know are both little bitches when it comes to scary things.” Courtney again slapped Shayne when she said his name and pointed at Damien when she said his name. They both gave you a little nod of greeting, which you returned._

_“That’s okay. I am, too, but I still love it. Horror, even though it’s so cheesy most of the time, is my favorite.” You responded to the group, feeling as though you should say something._

_“I--I thought we were bonding. I thought I could call you a friend. I--I--I thought I could trust you.” Courtney dramatically held her hand to her chest as though scandalized by your admission._

_“Sorry. I can’t help it. It’s so bad…and yet so good.” You returned with a grin._

_“Yes! Someone gets it.” Damien said with an overdramatically relieved sigh and a look to the heavens._

_“Nope. Nope. Nope.” Shayne responded while shaking his head and looking at you as though you were crazy._

_“Wait, you said it was funny!” Courtney turned back to Shayne._

_“Yeah, when it happened to you!” He exclaimed._

_“That is so unfair.” Courtney returned, turning all her attention to Shayne and leaving you and Damien to watch them bicker like siblings._

_“Yeah, they’re going to be a while. I was on my way to get a coffee from the kitchen. Want one?” Damien offered with his eyebrow quirked._

_“Sure.” You replied as you turned to follow him, giving one last look to Courtney to find her deep into her argument with Shayne._

_You spent the rest of your lunch hour with Damien in their office’s kitchen talking about your favorite scary movies and haunted houses you’d been to and the like._

_It quickly turned into you and Courtney and Damien grabbing lunch together when you could and becoming quick friends, which also led to your first movie night with Damien watching, what else, scary movies. _

The tea finished steeping so you grabbed your mug of coffee and Damien’s tea and brought it to the living room.

“Thanks.” Damien said gratefully as he took the mug from you and set it on the table next to him, careful not to disturb the cat on his lap.

“Benedict Arnold.” You mutter at your cat, “You’re supposed to protect me during the scary movie, not him.”

“Aw, do you need someone to protect you from the boogie man?” Damien cooed with a teasing smile. You just stuck your tongue out at him as you set your coffee down and shuffled through the stack of movies you’d gotten and threw one in the DVD player.

You flopped back on the couch next to Damien and curled your feet under your body while grabbing the fuzzy blanket from the back of the couch and spreading it out across your lap. You raised your eyebrow towards Damien in question to see if he wanted some, too, which he nodded.

You carefully flung it across his lap, intentionally covering the cat with it as well, knowing how much he loves being under the blanket. You were right as you both watched the lump shift and relax, still on Damien’s lap. Damien sighed and shifted around to get comfortable while trying not to move too much that it makes the cat move before settling with his head leaning on the back of the couch. 

About halfway through the movie the action started picking up. You had shifted positions so that your knees were in front of your body with your arms wrapped around them with your body tensed up waiting for the next jump scare. 

Damien had also straightened up, the cat having long left his lap when the screams on TV got to be too loud for him. 

The teenager was hiding in the closet, hand over her mouth to quiet her breathing. The killer was slowly walking through the house from room to room while flinging open doors to find her. Just as he flung open the closet the girl was in, thunder boomed outside and both you and Damien jumped. 

You both started laughing at yourselves, you grabbing your chest and him laying his head back on the couch and brushing his hair from his eyes. 

“Oh my God. Really? Could a storm have picked a worse time for that?” You muttered through your nervous laughter as you grabbed the remote to pause the movie. 

“I think I might have just had a heart attack. Am I dead now? Is this what death is like?” Damien asked while patting himself in random places to check for life signs. 

“If it is, we were sorely misled about the afterlife.” 

“Eh, I’d take it.” He said, finally turning to look you in the eyes as he sat up. You were going to laugh until you realized he seemed a bit too serious for that to have been a flippant joke. 

You must have had a questioning look in your eyes because he ducked his head and you swear you could see a faint blush on his cheeks, “I mean, it could be worse. Watching bad movies on a comfy couch with a pretty girl?” 

You weren’t sure what to say to that so you just shook your head with a smile. Obviously he was just teasing you. Obviously. Right? 

“You really don’t know, do you? Courtney noticed it right away. I thought maybe she told you.” 

“Huh?” You mentally slapped yourself as all the coherent words left your brain, “Told me what?” 

“That I might maybe have a tiny bit of a crush on you?” He admitted quietly, closing his eyes as if afraid to see rejection on your face. 

“Yeah right.” You snorted and rolled your eyes. 

Damien’s brow furrowed as he opened his eyes and searched for yours. You held his eye contact as you searched for the lie in them but found none. 

“Wait, you’re serious?” 

“As that heart attack I thought I just had a few minutes ago.” He said, flopping back on the couch embarrassed, “But don’t worry. I told Courtney you didn’t like me back so I’ve just been ignoring it and we can keep things the way they are.” 

“What if I don’t want to?” You asked barely above a whisper. 

“Do you want me to leave?” Damien asked, mistaking your question as a rejection. 

“Of course not. That’s not what I meant.” You quickly stammer to try to ease his mind but not quite sure how to say what you’re thinking. 

He opens one eye and looks over at you and you see a small glimmer of hope. 

“Then what did you mean?” He asks, leaning forward and tilting his body towards you. At that moment you could feel his whole attention focused on you and it gave you goosebumps. 

“I don’t want things to go back to the way they were before.” You said with a shy smile but still unable to voice what you were really wanting to say.

“You don’t want things to go back to the way they were before but you don’t want me to leave.” Damien seemed to be trying to figure out the puzzle that you’ve left him. 

You just nod and look down at your hands, blushing furiously. 

“Do you want to keep watching the movie?” He asks with a small smile, sensing your discomfort but also having caught on to your meaning. You let out a deep breath, relieved that he seemed to understand, and nodded before leaning forward to hit play on the remote. 

You went to lean back against the couch but found Damien had slid closer to you and had his arm around the back of the couch. He seemed to have tensed when you had leaned on it as if unsure if he should have made that move but relaxed when you curled your body towards his and leaned your head on his shoulder. 

Damien tilted his head to lean it against yours and moved his arm from the back of the sofa to your shoulder and pulled you closer. 

Yeah, scary movies are definitely your favorite.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Showing some Sohinki love...because there's just not enough out there! 
> 
> Any suggestions or favorite cliches? Please let me know! Comments and kudos let me know if you want to see more.

You smile at Matt Sohinki in thanks as he pulls your luggage out from the back of the Uber you shared from the airport to the hotel where E3 was being held. He set it on the ground before turning back in to grab his own and shutting the trunk so the driver could pull away. 

You grabbed the handle and pulled it behind you towards the entrance with Matt falling in step with you. 

“I hoped coming a day early would make it a little less busy.” You commented as you took in all the taxis, Ubers, and Lyfts crowded around the hotel’s entrance. 

“This is less busy. Wait until tomorrow.” He said with a chuckle as he took in your horrified face. 

You were finally attending your first E3 after years of covering it from afar and what better way to take it in than with your long-time friend who had years of experience navigating the conference. 

“Oh, goody.” You said sarcastically as you enter the building. Before either of you could say anything else, your phone started ringing. The ringtone let you know it was the company you contracted with to cover the event. 

“It’s work.” You tell Matt with a gesture towards the phone. 

“You take it. The room is booked under my name anyway.” He says, gesturing with a nod of his head towards a somewhat quiet area off the main lobby where you could feasibly take your call. 

“Thanks.” He nods at you with a smile as you carefully dodge the lobby crowded full of people to get to a place where you could actually hear your phone. 

“Ready to head up?” Sohinki asks as you turn towards the lobby after finishing your phone call. He was leaning up against the wall, patiently waiting for you with a smile on his face. You hated to admit it made your stomach flip to see him smile at you like that, like you were the reason for the smile. 

“Yep. All done.” You reply with a nod and let him lead the way. By some miracle you were able to catch the first elevator up. Even though the lobby was crowded, not many were heading up to their rooms at the moment. 

As you were in an elevator with four other people, all with their own luggage, you and Matt were pressed together, arms touching, while you waited for your floor. He never looked at you so you just watched the numbers ascend on the panel next to you. All you could think about was why you agreed to share a room with someone you had a crush on. That was probably not the best idea but at the time it made sense. 

You were the only two to get out on your floor. You started down the hall but stopped when you noticed Matt had only made it a few steps out of the elevator and no further. 

“Everything okay?” You asked nervously.

“Yes. No. Maybe. I don’t know. There was a problem with check-in.” He looked down at the carpet as he spoke. 

“We have a room, right?” You asked. 

“Yes.” Matt nodded. 

“Then what’s the problem?” 

Sohinki seemed to be having an inner argument with himself on whether or not to speak, “Should I just show you?” He asked, finally making eye contact. As he did, you noticed a red tint to his cheeks which you attributed to the packed elevator being warm. 

“Please.” You responded with a small smile to encourage him. It seemed to have worked because he was finally moving again, glancing down at the key to check the room number and then glancing at the doors as you made your way down the hall. 

“Here it is.” He said, sliding the key through the card reader. It flashed green so he quickly popped open the door. Instead of walking in, he stepped to the side and gestured for you to enter first. 

You stepped in and squinted, unable to see anything in the darkness until you fumbled around and found the light switch on the wall. 

“Ah.” Was all that you said, now noticing what Matt was worried about. 

“Yeah.” He said as he watched you survey the room. 

On its own, the room was fine. The problem was the one bed, and only one bed, centered along the far wall. 

“They saw that we had a room booked with two beds but they mistakenly gave it away before we got here. And, of course, because of the conference there wasn’t anything else available. Not even a rollaway bed that we could pull in.” 

It was then that you noticed there was only a desk with a small desk chair for furniture, not even a sofa or extra chairs of any kind. You glanced back as Matt let the door click shut behind the both of you, leaving you in the silence of the room.

“It’ll be fine.” You said reassuringly, figuring you should say something. You thought it’d be less of a problem if you didn’t harbor a small crush on him.

“I can sleep on the floor. And I’m not just saying that, I really don’t mind.” He offered with a shrug. 

“That’s ridiculous. We are grown adults. Well…sort of. I mean, we are here at a video game conference.” You teased with a smile and made him laugh. Hearing it warmed your insides. 

“If you’re sure.” 

“The bed is plenty big. We’ll be fine as long as you don’t push me off in the middle of the night.”

“Hm,” He appeared to be thinking about it, “Deal… as long as you don’t snore.”

“Deal.” You held out your hands and shook with a laugh. 

“You know, it’s still plenty early. How about we go explore and see what’s set up already.” Matt offered after you set your luggage down. 

“Sounds good.” 

“So. Tired.” You groaned into the pillow as you flopped face first onto the bed once you’d returned to your room around 3:00 in the afternoon. 

“Me too.” Sohinki sighed as he also dropped down onto the bed and laid back on his pillow with his arm over his eyes to block the light coming in from around the curtains. 

You were both so tired and it was so quiet and peaceful that you ended up dropping off to sleep before too long. 

When you came to, the first thing you noticed was that the room was dark. The last time your eyes were open it had still been mid-afternoon. 

The second thing you noticed, which you’re now wondering why it wasn’t the first, was that you had an arm around your middle and a warm and heavy body pressed up against your back. You arm was resting over Matt’s arm and your fingers were intertwined. 

He must have already been awake and sensed that you were now, too, because he quietly cleared his throat. You couldn’t hold back a yawn so you let his hand go and held it up to your mouth out of habit to cover it. Now that Matt had control of his hand, he pulled it back and rolled over onto his back. 

You stayed laying on your side, too nervous to roll over and look Sohinki in the eye. 

“If we’re going to meet Joven for dinner we should probably get going.” Matt said with a start as he must have just noticed the clock. 

You quickly sat up as you looked at the time and realized you were supposed to meet him a few minutes ago. You stood up and stretched, avoiding eye contact as you grabbed your phone and a few other things before leaving the room. 

Meeting up with Joven helped relieve some of the tension between you and Matt. You relaxed and were back to having fun and laughing together with Joven’s help and spent the rest of the evening wandering with them and meeting up with other people along the way. 

Before you knew it, everything was closing up for the night and you headed back to your room. 

“I call bathroom first.” Matt said as you exited the elevator. 

“Damn you.” You glared at him. When he stuck his tongue out at you, you couldn’t help but laugh. 

“Play nice, kids.” Joven called from the elevator as the door closed behind you and Matt, causing you all to laugh. 

You sat down at the desk and took a few notes on your phone of things you needed to take care of the next day as Sohinki grabbed his pajamas and toothbrush and took them into the bathroom. 

“M’lady.” Before you even had a chance to finish your list, Matt gestured to the open bathroom door with a flourish of hands to make you laugh. 

“Thank you, good sir.” You said with a bow of your head as you gathered your things to do the same as he just had. 

You exited the bathroom in your pajamas, shorts and a t-shirt, to find Sohinki already in bed on the farthest side from the bathroom, watching TV. He had the covers pulled down so you could still see his flannel pajama pants and a grey t-shirt. 

He glanced over at you and you tried not to blush as you caught his eyes travel the length of your legs and back up. 

You turned towards the dresser in the room to grab your phone charger off the top and plug it in on your side of the bed. You sat on the edge as you set an alarm and fumbled around on your phone for a while. If you were being honest, you were stalling. You hadn’t had a moment alone since you woke up from your nap and seemingly pretended it didn’t happen. 

After you had it charging and didn’t know what else to do, you laid down in bed and tucked your bare feet under the covers and pulled your side of the blankets up to your waist as you leaned back into your pillows to watch the TV. 

Sohinki surprised you by turning the TV off and rolling over onto his side to look at you. 

“Are we okay?” He asked with a worried frown on his face. 

“Why wouldn’t we be?” You said almost flippantly, not wanting to have this conversation. You were also trying to ignore the fact that you were laying in bed with him while having said conversation. 

He sighed and ran his hand along his bearded cheek as he looked conflicted and contemplated his next words.

“Do you think we’re not okay?” You asked, voice rising with worry. He let his hand drop to the bed between you. 

“The problem is I want us to be more than okay. I wanted this weekend with you to see how you felt about me. I thought sharing a room would be a good way to figure that out. But then we get stuck in a bed together, we take a nap and end up wrapped up together and then I was too scared to talk about it so I just let it go and now I don’t know what to do or what to think.” He said all of that in one long breath while staring at his hand sitting between your bodies. It wasn’t until he took a breath that he finally looked up and made eye contact with you. 

You must have looked as scared and panicked as you felt because he almost seemed to flinch at the look you were giving him. 

“I’m sorry. I definitely shouldn’t have dumped all that on you, especially right before we’re going to be sleeping in the same bed together for the next two days. I’m sure you don’t want anything more and that’s okay. That’s why I never said anything before. I didn’t want anything to change with us. But then when we woke up like that and you didn’t instantly freak out I thought maybe there was a chance but I guess I was wrong.” 

He made a move like he was going to get out of the bed but before you could think about it you grabbed the hand that was laying between you and tugged him back. 

“No, I’m sorry,” You apologized for scaring him but that only made him think he was right, that you were apologizing for not wanting anything more. 

“It’s okay.” His head dropped down and his face grew red. 

“No, not that.” You quickly corrected. You took your other hand and tipped his chin up so that you could look in his eyes. 

You had been so nervous around him, afraid to let him see how you felt, but after he told you everything and looked you in the eye you knew you didn’t have to be.

“I’m sorry that I made you think I didn’t want this. I didn’t say anything after we woke up because I did want it. More than anything. But I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable and find out you didn’t like me like that.” You confessed. 

Matt opened his mouth like he was going to say something, then closed it again as he processed what you said. Once it sunk in that you were both feeling the same way he couldn’t stop a small smile from slipping on his face. 

“Really?” He had to ask, just to be sure. You just nodded and chuckled. 

“So one more question.” He said, suddenly looking serious as he looked down at your hands. You hadn’t even realized you were still holding his hand and he turned his hand palm up and laced your fingers together. He took a deep breath and let the smile back on his face. 

“Can I kiss you?”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another favorite cliche... needing a pretend boyfriend for the weekend!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is a story with the cutie Sohinki. I know he's not the most popular to write about but I could just picture him being this sweet. 
> 
> If you really want it to be someone else, you could always use one of the browser plug-ins and swap all Matt/Sohinki's to whomever you'd like. I don't give any physical details of him so it really would work with anyone. Of course, I think Damien would be a cutie like this, too, so you could always change to his name. 
> 
> Also, please leave comments with any cliche/romance tropes that you might like to see in the future. 
> 
> Comments and kudos let me know you're enjoying and want more. It's such a huge motivator for me. <3

“Okay, Mom. See you Friday.” Your head fell forward onto the café table in front of you with a whimper of frustration just as Matt Sohinki sat down on the other side, coffee in hand, eyebrow raised. 

“I see you’re having a nice day so far.” He quipped and took a sip of his brew. 

“Wonderful. Fantastic even.” Your voice was dripping with sarcasm. Matt quirked his head, not unlike that of a curious puppy, as he waited for you to elaborate. 

“My aunt is getting married this weekend.” You held up your hand, rethinking your sentence, “Or should I say REmarried. For the third time.” 

“Okay?” He was still confused. 

“I have to go. And I’m going to be the one looked at like I’m the pathetic one for still being single, as opposed to the rest of my family who’ve all been married multiple times each.” You grumbled while rolling your eyes. 

“Why do they care?” He asked sympathetically. 

“Who knows? But I won’t hear the end of it. Luckily my parents aren’t that bad but the rest of them are.” 

“I’m sorry.” He frowned at you. 

“Me, too.” You chuckled as you ran your hand down your face to try to perk yourself back up. 

“How long do you have to be there?” 

“I’ll take the train Friday morning and come home Sunday afternoon. Three days with those…people.” Matt coughed out a laugh at the way you spoke about your family. You just stared him down. 

“You don’t know them. You don’t see the judgment. They can smell fear and weakness and they prey on it.” You spoke as if they were monsters, as if you were having past visions of horror, being dramatic to make him laugh. 

“Do...” Matt started, then stopped. 

“Do what?” You asked before you took the first sip of the coffee you bought before Matt got there. 

“Never mind. Doesn’t matter.” He shook his head, looking down at his coffee.

“It does matter. What?” You asked as you ducked your head down to try to catch his eyes. 

“I was going to say something but I realized how stupid it sounded.” He tried to laugh it off but now there was no way you were going to let it go. 

“Then let me hear the stupid.” You teased, “I could use a laugh right about now.” 

“I was just going to offer to go with you so you didn’t have to be alone if you wanted but then I realized it sounded weird.” He said the sentence without ever looking up. His hands were playing with his cup, tapping his fingers on it, which he seemed to find the most fascinating thing in the world. 

“That…” You started with a nod as you thought it over, “is brilliant.” 

Sohinki’s head shot up at your statement, “What?” 

“If--if you’re actually offering, I mean.” You backpedaled quickly, not wanting to rope him into anything he didn’t want to do. 

He shrugged and finally met your eyes, “Sure. I mean, how bad could it be?” 

“You are going to regret saying that.” 

Most of your coffee ‘date’ was then spent filling him in on what he’d need to know, along with a plausible back story for your relationship. 

Luckily you had known each other for a while now so you could use your real history for the most part and just add a friends-to-more twist. Your coffee dates were a weekly event as a way for you both to spend more time out of the house as you share the work-at-home lifestyle, not to mention the weekend dinners or movie marathons thrown in the mix as well so you were close enough to make it an easy prospect. 

“Are you sure about this?” You asked Matt one last time just before stepping onto the train, “Last chance to back out. I wouldn’t blame you.” 

He laughed at you before resting his hand against your lower back to gently guide you forward, answering the question silently by following you aboard. 

“On your head be it.” You told him ominously as you found your seats and tried to ignore the shiver you got from his hand being on you. 

Matt pulled out his Switch before sitting down, offering you a chance to play something with him, which you turned down. 

“I’d rather watch. I suck at games.” You said with a laugh as you shifted in your seat so you could watch over his shoulder. 

“What if we find something co-op? There are some really cute ones that you might like.” He pushed for you to play with him as he detached the controllers and passed one to you. 

“Fine, but make sure it’s something easy.” 

“Sure think, dear.” Matt said, testing the pet name for the weekend, adding a teasing wink. 

“Thanks, honey.” You replied. You looked at each other and chuckled, shaking your heads at the bizarre feeling but you both kept your pleasure at hearing each other say it to yourselves. 

Sohinki pulled up the game Snipperclips. You found the game adorable and couldn’t stop smiling as you worked together to complete the levels. Because the screen was propped up on Matt’s tray, you were leaning his direction and before you realized it you were leaning into his side with your head almost on his shoulder. 

You had completed a big portion of the game before you yawned, unable to hold it back. A long night of packing and stressing over the weekend left you without much sleep. Matt smiled over at you as he put his controller down. 

“We still have a while. Why don’t you take a nap?” 

“These aren’t exactly the most comfortable seats.” You said, shifting around. 

“C’mere.” He raised his arm so you could cuddle up with him, snuggling into his chest under his shoulder. When you found a comfortable position and settled down, his arm pulled around you and squeezed you closer as he rested his hand on your side. 

“You’re good at this boyfriend thing.” You teased him as you started to drop off to sleep. His chest rumbled underneath you as he chuckled. 

“Good to know.” 

“Hey.” Matt was slowly running his hand up and down your side as he quietly woke you up, “We’re almost there.” 

You buried your face into his chest, not wanting to wake up. 

“Just five more minutes.” You begged. 

“We’ll be at the station by then.” His hand brushed your hair back from your face gently as he spoke. 

You raised your head to squint up at him, the lights feeling too bright after your nap. He laughed at the face you were making. 

“But you’re so comfy.” You whined and dropped your head on his shoulder again, closing your eyes. It wasn’t helping that the arm he had wrapped around you was still tracing slow patterns across your side. Of course, you’d never tell him to stop. It felt heavenly but you weren’t sure if it was because of the sensation or the person who was doing it.

“Well, thank you…I think.” He chuckled, resting his cheek on the top of your head as he decided to let you just relax for the last few minutes of your journey. He couldn’t keep the small smile off his face at having you cuddling into him. 

Your five minutes more was up when you felt the train stop. You felt cold when Matt’s arm finally unwrapped from around you and put his Switch back into his bag. He grabbed both bags, yours and his, and slung them over his shoulder. 

“You don’t have to do that.” You told him. 

“What kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn’t?” He winked at you. 

“Oh, God. I’ve created a monster. If you act like this around my family they’re not going to let you go.” You warned him as he led you to the doors and he just grinned at you, making you laugh. 

You followed him out and immediately spotted your parents waiting for you. They were standing off to the side, watching for you. Their faces lit up, as did yours, as you made your way to them for giant hugs, which then turned into introductions for Matt. 

A small part of you felt bad for lying to your parents about him but didn’t want to bring them in on the ruse, either. The fewer people who knew the easier it would be to keep secret. 

The ride back to your parents’ house was spent catching up and being filled in on all the family drama that had been going on with the wedding. You caught Matt’s eye on more than one occasion and found him staring back at you, wide-eyed, learning that you weren’t just being overly dramatic about how difficult your extended family could be. 

“You remember where your room is, don’t you?” Your mom teased as you walked in the house, Matt still insisting on carrying on your bags. 

“Mm, not sure but I think I can manage to find it.” You told her as you led Matt up the stairs to put your stuff away. You were surprised to find that they assumed you would be sharing a room, your childhood bedroom. There was a part of you that expected your dad to insist on separate bedrooms but he must have gotten over that as you’ve aged. 

“Hon, we’re running to the restaurant to drop some things off for the dinner tonight. We’ll be back in a bit.” She spoke to you from the bottom stair as you leaned your head out the door. 

“Kay.” You responded.

“No funny business.” Your dad sternly warned from behind your mom before laughing. 

“God, Dad. Really?” Your face reddened even though you could hear him laughing as they left. 

“I told you everyone is fucking nuts.” You turned to Matt with a shake of your head. 

“Well, at least it’ll be an interesting weekend.” His emphasis on the word interesting made you chuckle. 

“That’s one way to put it.” You agreed. 

You shut the bedroom door behind you and leaned against it with a sigh. Matt had turned his attention to checking out your childhood bedroom. It was mostly plain looking since you didn’t live there any more with a bed, a small sofa, a dresser with a TV on top, and a desk in front of the window. 

The closet was partially open and you were glad to see extra blankets and pillows piled on the shelf inside. 

“I’ll take the sofa so you can have the bed. It’s not big but at least it’s comfortable.” You said pointing at your old bed, forgetting just how small it was. 

“Are you sure? You don’t think your parents are going to find that…weird?” He asked while trying not to make eye contact. 

“Well, there’s not really enough room for both of us to be comfortable.” 

“At least let me take the couch then.” He offered as he felt bad about making you sleep on it. 

“No way! It’s tiny! At least I’ll fit a bit easier. Besides, you’re the one doing me a favor by even being here! I’m not going to add your need of a chiropractor to the list of things I made you do.” 

“You didn’t make me do anything. I offered to be here with you. I have an idea. How about I play you for it?” He suggested, nodding his head towards his bag and presumably the Switch inside.

You narrowed your eyes at him, “But you know I suck!” 

“Well, then you better get good!” He smiled wickedly as he pulled the Switch out and propped it up toward the end of the bed. You narrowed your eyes at him before flopping down at the head of the bed, leaned against the headboard, hand out and waiting for the controller. 

Matt grinned and sat next to you, mirroring your placement on the bed. It was that moment that you couldn’t just see how small the bed was but feel it as well. Your legs were pressed together down the center of the bed with your elbows clashing for room. 

Matt surprised you by looping your arms together to give more room and make it more comfortable, “Better?” He asked. 

“Much.” You agreed, settling in as Matt looked through the games to find one that he thought might be fair. 

“No freaking way. That was so unfair!” You argued as you glared at Matt while he cackled at his come-from-behind win. 

“Sorry, dear.” He just shot you a big grin and you couldn’t stop yourself from smiling back at him by how happy he looked at that moment. 

Matt’s eyes drifted down to your lips and back up, licking his own. Your breath caught in your throat as you watched his tongue dart out and back. You weren’t sure who was leaning in or if it was both of you but you were certain the distance between was growing smaller. A magnetic pull was tugging you and you knew you didn’t want to resist, even if you could. 

A quick, sharp knock on the door brought you back to the present and made you both jump. You were so engrossed in what was happening that you hadn’t heard your parents return. You quickly pulled back apart to where you had been previously as if you were a teenager almost getting caught instead of an adult. 

The door slowly opened and your dad’s head peeked in, “Settling in okay?” He asked, taking in the scene of you playing video games. Matt nodded with a smile and you did as well. 

“We’ll be leaving in a few minutes so you might want to get changed.” He suggested before closing the door again. The silence was deafening as you sagged at the panic of being surprised by the knock and unsure of what to say, if you should mention the kiss that almost took place. 

Matt patted your leg as he turned to stand up to get dressed, “You want to take the bathroom? I can get dressed in here.”

“Sure.” You were a little disappointed he didn’t say anything else but it probably wasn’t the best time anyway since you had very little time.

You each rifled through your bags to find what you needed and you scooped yours to take into the bathroom that was next to your closet. 

You felt silly knocking from the inside of the bathroom but you just wanted to double check that you weren’t going to walk in on Matt changing. 

“It’s safe.” He replied to the knock with a chuckle. 

When you walked in, he was bent over his bag. When he heard the door, he turned towards you. 

“I--,” He started to say until he caught sight of you, “You look amazing.” 

“Oh, stop it. It’s just us.” You replied with a blush, brushing his compliment off, looking down at your casual dress. 

“I’m serious.” He told you as he took a step in your direction, reaching his hand out towards you. You were unsure if you should take it or not until you saw a frown crinkle his brow. You reached your hand to his, letting him take it and tug you towards him into a gentle hug. 

“Are you sure about this?” You asked him, arms wrapped around his shoulder. 

“It’s a little late to back out now, don’t you think?” He asked, pulling his head back to look you in the eyes. 

You shrugged, looking down at the buttons on his shirt, “Nothing my family wouldn’t be used to, me showing up alone.” 

“Hey, I’m here. We’re going to get through this together.” He promised as he used his finger to lift your chin up to look him in the eye, to see the honesty in them. You just released a big sigh and nodded. 

“Okay. Let’s do this.” You agreed as you turned and headed towards your door. Matt reached his arm out towards you but you had already stepped from his grasp and didn’t notice. He frowned but followed you anyway. 

You arrived at the restaurant and followed your parents inside. It had been a while since you’d seen your extended family so you were a bit nervous. Matt noticed and took your hand, linking your fingers together and sending you a comforting smile, which you returned. 

“I’m really regretting this.” You leaned toward him to whisper. He frowned at you. You could tell immediately he thought you meant bringing him along. 

“Not you, just agreeing to come to this. I’m so glad you’re here with me. It’s the only thing stopping me from running back to hide in the car for the rest of the night.” You whispered to him as you had fallen a few steps back from your parents so they couldn’t hear you. 

Matt just smiled at you and gave your hand a squeeze, “I’m right here. I promise.” 

True to his word, Matt never left your side the whole night. He was always next to you, either holding your hand or with his arm wrapped around your waist. More than once you found yourself leaning into him or resting your head on his shoulder as you talked with your family. You were glad this was a much smaller gathering than what would be at the wedding so you could ease into it. 

At the end of the night, after saying goodbye to everyone, you and Matt waited outside for your parents to finish up whatever conversation they were having. 

It was a nice night so you waited at the car. You were shuffling from foot to foot so Matt looked down at you with his eyebrow raised. 

“Sorry. Feet kind of hurt. Shouldn’t have worn heels today.” Matt chuckled and surprised you by pulling you towards the back of the car and putting his hands on your waist and with relative ease lifting you on the trunk of the car so you were off your feet. He reached down and slipped off your shoes and set them on the roof of the car over the backseat door so you didn’t forget to bring them with. 

“Better?” He asked with his hands on your knees. 

“Oh God. So much better. Thank you.” The sigh of relief you gave made him happy. 

You spent the next ten minutes discussing your family, Matt being surprised that no one was really as bad as you made them out to be before you assured him that it would be worse the next day when everyone was there, not just this small portion of people. 

Your parents finally got to the car and by then you and Matt were both crashing, feeling worn out from the day. They found the two of you leaning on each other, Matt with his back resting against the trunk with your arms linked while you rested your head on his. 

“Okay, kiddies. Time to go home.” Your mom said, also sounding like she was dragging from the busy day they had. 

“Thank God.” You sighed before starting to slide down to the ground before Matt stopped you. He shifted over so he was between your legs so you could climb on his back. He tapped your hip with his hand, letting you know it was okay to wrap around him. He carried you to the backseat and set you in before reaching up to grab your shoes that he also handed you. 

You smiled at him and mumbled a thanks before he jogged around to the other side to climb in. 

“Quite the gentleman you’ve got.” Your mom teased. 

You looked over to Matt to find him shooting you a grin and trying not to laugh. You were pretty sure he was having fun playing up the part for your family. 

“Yeah, he is.” You agreed, shooting him a wink. You almost jumped when you felt his hand slide across the backseat and grab yours again and giving it a squeeze, all while watching the scenery go by out the window. You were glad he didn’t look over at you because even in the dark he wouldn’t have been able to miss the blush on your cheeks. 

He surprised you even more when you got back home and he whispered, “Wait here.” as he and your parents got out of the car. Matt jogged over to your side and opened the door, bending over so you could again climb on his back. 

You wished your parents a good night with a kiss on the cheek from your dad before Matt carried you piggyback style up the stairs and into your bedroom. You dropped your shoes on the floor just inside the door and quietly clicked the door shut. 

“You are such a brat. After this weekend my family is going to want to give me up and keep you instead.” You told Matt as he set you down gently on the floor. 

He turned around and seemed to contemplate what he wanted to say but instead he just shook it off, laughing, “Don’t worry, I’ll keep a picture with me to make sure they don’t forget you.” You just stuck your tongue out at him as you grabbed your pajamas out of your bag. 

Once you were both showered and ready for bed suddenly you weren’t as tired as you had been so you settled on watching a movie. You pulled up your parents’ Netflix account on your TV as Matt went to settle into the small sofa for the night. 

“Nuh-uh. Come here.” You patted the bed after you sat down on it and shuffled to the headboard. He eyed you curiously. 

“No tricks? You’re not going to let me sit down over there and then come steal the sofa so I can’t sit on it, right?” He accused, eyes narrowed at you. 

“I’m offended you think I would do such a thing.” You gasped, holding a hand to your chest. He just added a raised eyebrow to the look he was already giving you. 

“Okay, it is something I would do. But I promise I’m not. It’s just a lot easier to actually see the TV over here and so much more comfortable.” 

“Fine, but no funny business.” He threatened. You made the motion of crossing your heart and held your hands up in front of you. 

Matt slid under the covers with you as you propped yourself up with pillows and settled in to watch an old movie. 

A knock startled you out of sleep and made you sit up, or at least attempt to sit up, which you found yourself unable to do. Matt was wrapped around you tightly, your legs also tangled together underneath the blankets. 

Your mom opened the door quietly and saw the two of you cuddled in bed and smiled, “Time to get up. We’re leaving for a few minutes to pick up some stuff but then we’ll be back to pick you guys up.” You nodded at her and she closed the door again. 

“Five more minutes.” Matt’s gruff morning voice startled you as you were unsure if he had been awake or not. You laughed at him using the words you used on him the day before. You flopped back down with a tired groan and Matt pulled you to him tighter. 

“I have to start getting ready. My hair is a disaster.” You told him, really not wanting to get up either. 

He cracked one eye open to look at you, “Looks fine. Tell them it’s the new fashion in L.A.” His head dropped back to the pillow as if he solved the problem and it was time to sleep again. 

“Nice try.” 

“It was worth a shot.” He shrugged and slowly released his grasp around your waist and stretched his arms above his head and released a yawn. 

“I can’t believe we both managed to sleep up here and not fall off.” You commented. 

“Me too, but I’m not complaining. It’s definitely more comfortable than the sofa.” He paused for a moment, “And another plus, your parents should definitely be convinced about us now.” 

“I didn’t, like, kick you or anything during the night, did I?” You asked, knowing your habit of tossing and turning a lot. 

“No. I don’t remember falling asleep and I don’t think I ever woke up.” 

“Good. I need you in top form today.” You teased, poking him in the arm as you climbed out of bed. 

You could hear the deep rumble of his sleepy laugh as you dug through your bag. 

“Hey, do you think I should shave?” He asked as he ran his hand over his face. 

“Nah. I like the scruff. Looks good on you.” You were distractedly pulling out the things you needed so you missed the red that rose up on his cheeks from your admission. 

You quickly changed into your dress and Matt into his dress pants and shirt but left the tie draped around his neck and untied in the meantime. 

You left the bathroom door open while you did your hair and makeup and Matt wandered it and sat on the countertop next to the sink, next to where you were working, looking bored. 

“Sorry. I’m almost done.” You apologized as you curled another piece of hair. 

“No worries.” He said, watching you work. 

“You know, I know I said it before but, really, thank you for doing this. Everyone has been so much easier to deal with because you’re here.” 

He ducked his head, almost shyly, and nodded, “No problem. Glad I could help keep them off your back.” 

“But it’s not just that. Because you’re here I just deal with it better.” You told him as you put down the curling iron and turned it off. He just watched you, unable to form the words he wanted to say, not wanting to ruin what you have. 

You were running your fingers through your loose curls, trying to get them to sit how you wanted them and one just wouldn’t cooperate. Matt reached out and split the curl so that it sat neatly where you needed. 

“Thanks. Again.” You said, looking over his shoulder into the mirror to make sure everything was how you wanted it. 

“Welcome.” He said softly, itching to reach out to you but keeping his hands to himself instead. 

“You guys ready to go?” Your dad yelled from downstairs. 

“Just a sec.” You yelled back, straightening up the countertop as Matt rushed to tie his tie that he’d forgotten about. You helped him straighten it before he hopped down off the countertop and followed you out. 

“You were right. Your family is…something.” Matt mumbled to you at the reception as you watched your aunt and her husband have their first dance.

“That’s a very nice way to put it.” You agreed, trying to ignore the feeling of him pushed up against your back with his hand on your hip. 

Everyone that Matt hadn’t met the night before was full of curiosity about the man you brought home with you. He handled everyone well and it seemed they all liked him, which you hoped meant that they would just take it easy on you. Instead, it just meant questions about when you were going to be next which you found mortifying. 

After all the first dances were done, everyone was mingling and sitting around at tables catching up. 

“Oh, God.” You mumbled, turning toward Matt to hide your face from an aunt that was wandering around, tipsy, that was known to interrogate anyone new brought to a family function. 

Matt just watched you, confused, and saw a woman coming towards their table. 

“Someone you don’t want to talk to?” He guessed. 

“There isn’t enough alcohol in this state to make me want to talk to her.” You told him as she drew nearer.

The music had just changed from an upbeat song to a slow one, giving Matt an idea. 

“Come on.” He said smiling, grabbing your hand and standing up, tugging you with him. 

“What?” 

“We’re going to dance.” He told you as he led you to the crowded dance floor. 

You were surprised to find a place in the crowd but when you did, Matt tugged you to a stop and turned you toward him, putting one hand on your waist and the other holding your hand to his chest. Your free hand sat on his shoulder as you began to sway slowly to the music. 

“That was a close one.” You said with a relieved sigh. 

Matt looked down at you, “That’s not the only reason I pulled you out here.” 

“Oh really?” You asked as you looked back up at him. 

He nodded and his hand tightened on your waist, “I was hoping for a chance to get you alone, or as alone as we can be in a crowd.” He laughed as he looked around at the family surrounding you. 

“Your aunt just happened to give me the courage to do it.” 

“Courage?” You asked, confused. 

Matt took a deep breath, “I can’t believe this is where I’m going to do this.” He shook his head with a nervous laugh. 

“I’ve wanted to do this for months but couldn’t bring myself to say it and now, I don’t think I can wait any more. When you told me on the train that I was going to make your parents not want to let me go all I really wanted was for _you_ to not want to let me go. I don’t know when things changed, when you went from my friend who I had an innocent crush on to my friend that I really wanted more with but here we are.” 

“Getting to have a weekend that I could actually touch you and hold you was the push I needed. It felt right and I don’t want to go back. I want this to be real.” He finished, eyes locked on yours. The apprehension in them was obvious but he waited silently. 

All the breath left your body in that moment and your heart raced. Your hand on his shoulder squeezed down and you finally gave him a shy smile. 

“I want this, too. You have no idea how much I looked forward to getting coffee with you every week and our spur of the moment dinners or movie nights. When you offered to come here with me I was so excited at first but then I worried that you’d see too much of me, of my crazy, to want anything to do with me.” He smiled down at you, unable to believe that you felt the same way. 

The slow song ended and an old disco song replaced it, making you both laugh at the somewhat interrupted moment. 

“Come on.” He kept your hand in his but let go of your waist as he tugged you off the floor and to the doors. 

It was a little chilly out but after being surrounded by people inside it felt nice on your skin. There were a few other people outside but Matt led you to a porch swing that was off to the side of the front door. 

Before he sat down, he shrugged off his jacket and put it around your shoulders and then tugged you down next to him with his arm around your waist. He used his feet on the ground to swing you gently and you laid your head on his shoulder. 

“You know, when I offered to come here with you I couldn’t have imagined this. I was sure I was going to spend the weekend trying to awkwardly touch you just enough to make this believable but not make it harder on myself to let go when we went home. When you fell asleep on me on the train I knew I was already in trouble” He told you as you watched a couple of your little cousins chase each other around the parking lot, laughing. 

“Well I’m glad I fell asleep on you then. I would have hated to go back home without this.” You admitted as you raised your head to look at him. 

His hand around your waist tightened and he laid his other palm on your cheek gently, rubbing his thumb along your cheekbone before leaning in slowly and pressing his lips to yours. 

It was soft and warm and gentle and perfect but turned needier until you heard the front door creaking and voices carrying out into the night air. More kids ran out the doors to join in the impromptu parking lot game of tag. 

“Think we should head back in?” Matt asked, disappointment in his voice. 

“Probably.” You agreed without enthusiasm. 

The rest of the reception was the best and worst parts of the night. Your aunt that you were avoiding finally cornered you and Matt, asking all the questions that you knew she was going to but luckily Matt handled it graciously, answering all of them and then assuring you it was fine when she left. 

“It’s a lot easier like this.” He said, squeezing your hand that was holding his under the table.

The night also held more dancing, this time closer and with stolen kisses. 

You got to spend more time with your parents and they got to know Matt a lot better and were happy to see they genuinely seemed to like each other. 

But your favorite moment was stepping outside again to get some fresh air and watching Matt get pulled into the game of tag with your younger cousins while you watched, begging off because of your high heels. Hearing him running around and laughing, tie loosened while you wore his jacket gave you the biggest joy of the night and a glimpse into what could be in your future with him. You were glad you snapped a picture on your phone of Matt with your smallest cousin on his shoulders as they ran together because it melted your heart. 

The night ended and you were treated with another piggyback ride up the stairs to your bedroom after exchanging goodnight wishes with your parents again. 

“I am so glad this night is done.” You said, leaning on Matt after he set you down. 

“Hey, you’re not the one that was playing tag for an hour.” He argued as he pulled you into his arms. 

“They had so much fun with you, though.” You told him with a grin which he returned. 

“They were awfully cute.” He admitted. 

“Not as cute as you were.” You told him with a grin. 

“Cute? That’s all I am to you? Cute?” He acted offended by your words. 

“Well, okay, but the word I would use would not be the same word I would use for them.”

“And what word would that be?” He asked with a raised eyebrow, pulling your hips into his. 

“Handsome? Attractive? Or how about sexy?” You purred the last one in his ear after grabbing his tie to pull him closer. 

“I was hoping for just mildly appealing so I’ll take it.” He joked before pulling you in for a kiss. 

His lips fit against yours perfectly. You felt a low groan rumble through Matt’s chest as your tongue found his. His hands on your hips gripped you tighter and your arms snaked around his neck. 

When you broke apart for air, he rested his forehead on yours, “So am I sleeping on the sofa tonight?” 

“Not a chance.” You told him. 

Teeth brushed, faces washed, clothes changed, you found yourselves in the dark, curled up in bed together. The only light was from the moon shining through your window and you could see his eyes shining back at you. 

Matt’s hand brushed your hair behind your ear as you faced each other. You reached up and put your hand over his, which made him pull you to him for another kiss. 

You sighed against his lips when he nibbled on your lower lip. Matt swallowed up a quiet squeak you released when he rolled you over so you were sitting on his hips, leaning down with your lips still together. His hands roamed under your shirt, across your back, around your sides as yours gripped the front of his t-shirt on his chest. 

You pushed yourself up as your lips separated. His hands were still roaming your sides and across your ribs before sliding, ever so slowly, up to cup your breasts gently. The sigh that left your lips as his thumbs brushed across your nipples was music to his ears. 

When you arched your back you felt his hardness underneath you, which just made you want more so you leaned down to his ear and whispered, “Think we can keep it quiet?” 

“I like a good challenge. Let’s find out.” He said as he flipped you over onto your back. You were unsure how it happened in one movement but he was now leaning on top of you with a smirk. 

Clothing was shed, layer by layer, lips and tongue covering every inch of skin as it was revealed. Deep breaths, sighs, barely there moans trapped between lips, the night was spent in each others’ arms. 

Matt’s arms caged you in as you reached your peak together, swallowing each others’ moans. He dropped his forehead on your chest as you tried to catch your breath while your nails raked lightly across his back. 

Breathing evened out, Matt’s head picked up and he brushed his thumbs across your cheeks before placing a sweet kiss on your lips. 

“I love you.” He said, barely above a whisper before continuing, “I mean, I know we haven’t actually been dating before now but I’ve known for…” 

You stopped his rambling with a finger pressed to his lips and smiled softly. 

“I love you, too.”


End file.
